Is Google A Thing?

You would think that every human being in the Western hemisphere ....

Google Search

 

.... would now know how to do a Google search, wouldn't you? But apparently not so in Newark, New Jersey, USA.

The Office of the Mayor the City of Newark, was headed by Ras Baraka, when he proudly announced that the city was going to be twinning with an Indian city state. The new city twin was to be the United States of Kailasa ..... Yep, I have never heard of it either. The clue to the problem is in the name .... how many Indian cities would be be called 'The United States' of anything?

But apparently, no alarm bells rang amongst the Mayors staff (you have to wonder sometimes at the lack of awareness of countries outside the United States .... it still annoys the Scots, Irish and Welsh when the UK is routinely described as 'England'). However, perhaps its not a surprise .... I can't possibly comment on the standard of the mayor and his staff. 

Newark Twins With The 'United States Of Kailasa.'

So they proudly went to a ceremony, where they signed a twinning agreement with the United States of Kailasa. Of course Kailasa was proud of this coup, and put out a press release proclaiming, that in fact it was a 'Bilateral agreement with the United States' and the sub-heading 'The United States of America recognizes the United States of KAILASA and signs bilateral agreement'.

Press Release - United States of Kailasa

Of course, it was great publicity for this 'state' but, and of course there was a but, the United States of Kailasa was a non-existent bogus state, created on the Internet only, by one 'Guru' Swami Nithyananda .... a gentleman whom some have described as a Hindu scam Cult leader, and possible rapist. He fled India when the accusations of a rape, and kidnapping, and further accusations about the confining of children first arose in 2019.

Then someone contacted the Office of The Mayor in Newark, with the news that it was a scam, and the deal was rescinded a few days after the official signing ceremony. Red faces all round “Although this was a regrettable incident, the city of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect.” said City Hall in their statement. Many on social media asked 'Whose job was it to do a google search and figure out its a fake city?'

Of course Newark is not alone in being conned to some degree .... the fake countries websites suggest that number of US cities (some sites suggest up to 30) have to some extent acknowledged requests from 'The Sovereign State of Shrikalasa' (its alternative title), but none ever twinned.

'Guru' Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda

'Guru' Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda has claimed (without any evidence), to have bought an island off the coast of Ecuador, and gave it the name “Kailasa” in honour of the Hindu holy mountain Mount Kailash in Tibet. Ecuador has denied that he was ever in the country, and said that "Nithyananda has not been given asylum by Ecuador or has been helped by the government of Ecuador". It also made the news after representatives apparently tried to seize land from indigenous tribes in Bolivia, via 'perpetual leases' before being expelled by Bolivian authorities. 

This reminded me somewhat of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was jailed in 2017 with a number of charges, including double rapes, and two murders (although jailed in this Indian context is relative, as he apparently comes and goes from the prison as he wishes).